Townhome to 2 unit questions

[Chris C.]

Hello folks - I found a rare townhome (3br 2.5ba) that has an additional 1br unit (Kitchen, stove, fridge, living room, etc) above the garage with separate entry. I plan on renting the townhome and the garage unit separately. I have read the HOA rules and there is nothing that says I can't do this - although I may look into joining the HOA board to solidify my plans :)

Currently, the separate unit is not on it's own metered system. It also currently shares the same address as the townhome. I would like to separate both to make it a true separate unit. Has anyone had any experience doing something like this?

[Frank Chin]

The answer to this question depends on local zoning, building regulations, and how strictly they enforce it. Here in NYC where I am, the utilities check the C/O, and each unit on the C/O is entitled to only one meter, and no more. If for any reason you need separate utility readings, you have to go the sub-metering route and handle it yourself.